The sane create; the mad are merely miserable. (Adam Phillips, from Going Sane)

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Wanderlust

Compassby Janet Frame

Once I was overtaken bygeometry: a golden compass lyingin a silver box that had cutting edgesand sliced through my finger -- ifyou had to choose would you bethe centre or the foot of the compass?

-- the short foot harnessed to a dainty pencilwith nothing to do all day but describedescribe the perfect circle andmeet your origins foot to foot on a highwaynarrow enough to contain you onlyor would you rather pierce what you touchputting out who knows what eyes of lightsharp deep stay-at-home as balance, reference forthe wandering -- no, rather the successfully striding -- foot?

But if you are a compass have you really a choice?Are you not wholly -- stay-at-home and traveller -- It?I think I'd rather be the wide-open measured mouth ofthe radius tasting every drop of distance.